After 12 storeys up a high-rise stairwell,
your aching muscles and burning lungs may claim otherwise. But if you want
to get in shape fast, stair-climbing workouts-hellaciousness notwithstanding
-are your new best friend.
"Stair climbing is so effective because it forces your body to work against
gravity," says Regina-based personal trainer Trevor Folgering. Besides
providing a blast of cardio, it boosts endurance, burns calories and strengthens
and tones glutes, quads, hamstrings and other leg muscles. (No wonder
it's rumoured to be the workout of choice for celebs, including Kate Hudson,
Jennifer Aniston and Fergie.)
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Fast results
"I feel amazing. I've seen results quite quickly
from stair climbing: I've lost 20 pounds and
have toned up a lot. And I have more energy,"
says Kim Kulach, 35, who has been stair climbing
since last June.
Kim climbs with a group in Regina, but a key
benefit of stair climbing is that you can fit it into
your schedule in whatever way works for you.
It's easy to find time and space for a workout,
whether you're at home, at the office or on the
road. "Sometimes if I'm travelling and don't
have time to exercise, I'll climb 10 flights of
stairs at my hotel, walk back down, then do it
again," says Professor Martin Gibala, chair of
kinesiology at McMaster University in Hamilton,
Ont. He likes that it's an interval workout,
which research shows can boost cardiovascular
health and may help improve the ratio of
good (HDL) to bad (LDL) cholesterol.
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Kat Tancock, a 33-year-old writer in Toronto,
runs, rock climbs and practises yoga. She says
stair climbing intervals helped her reach a new
personal best 10K time by shaving off two and
a half minutes. "It's a killer workout for your
legs, and it's cardio," she says, adding the scenic
green space where she trains and the "natural
challenge of stairs make it more exciting than
doing speed work on a track."
Gibala agrees that stair climbing may have
a psychological edge over speed drills. "Generally,
stairs require a significant effort. It's hard
to climb stairs 'easy': The intensity required is
quite high," says Gibala. It's twice as difficult to
climb stairs as it is to walk briskly, and it's 50
percent harder than lifting weights. The upshot:
You don't need to force yourself to up the
intensity of your cardio-"OMG, now I have to
run five whole minutes!"-because you're probably
already there. And you won't be tempted
to cheat by slowing down or cutting a minute
or two off your time.
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Smart start
The best part? Stair climbing is suitable for
almost all fitness levels. Begin by gearing
up with comfortably layered clothing and
cross-trainers. "They offer good support and
stability," says Folgering.
If you're just starting out, you might want to
climb with a partner or group, so you'll feel more
secure in isolated high-rise stairwells. And then
there's the motivation a group provides: Kim
likes the team environment and built-in support
of her Regina-based stair-climbing sessions,
which include a coach and attract anywhere
from five to 20 people per session.
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Whether you climb indoors or out, proper form
is essential, advises Folgering. Land with a heel
strike. "As your foot contacts the step, your heel
will touch down on the stair first. This helps
decrease any strain on the knee and transfers
all the force to the hamstrings and gluteus
maximus. Plant down with your heel and focus
on pushing hard up the stairs," says Folgering.
As your hamstrings and glutes strengthen, you'll
get faster-and your workout will feel easier.
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Amp it up
Kim's group uses stair climbing as the foundation
for a whole-body workout: "Depending on
where you are in the program, and what floor
you're at, you climb up to that floor four times,
with a short rest in between climbs. There's a
group 'bonus' workout at the end, which can
be fun," says Kim. These exercises may include
speed climbs or between-floor squats and
burpees, followed by five minutes of core work
like planks, crunches and leg raises, then
cool-down stretches.
Kat took a more individual approach, adding
stair-climbing intervals to some of her regular
outdoor 5K runs, which lead her to a popular
stair-climbing spot: the approximately 110-step
outdoor staircase outside Toronto's historic
Casa Loma castle. "The beauty of the location
is it's very green with a nice view at the top. It's
about 10 to 15 minutes from my home, which
is a nice warm-up, and then I'll usually go
for five laps, running up [the steps] and then
walking down. My max was eight. Then my legs
are jelly, and I have to walk for a few minutes
before running home," says Kat.
Ready to
climb? Four tips to get you started
1. Opt for the stairs.
Make the five-minute
climb to your office twice
a day, and you'll burn
550 calories a week-the same as going for
a 7K run on Saturday.
2. Visit your city's scenic staircases.
Find a favourite one by
a historic site, on an
escarpment or even in a
shopping mall, and make
climbing it a regular part
of your fitness plan.
3. Add steps to your routine.
If you run or
power walk at a high
school or university track,
climb up the bleachers
or stadium steps, too.
Or hop on the Stairmaster
between weight-training
sets at home or the gym.
4. Work toward a goal.
Sign up for a charity
stair-climb race-it'll keep
you motivated to work out.
Click here to see our
favourite charity climbing races.
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